3 arrested in Punta Gorda prostitution sting

Two men and a woman from Fort Myers were arrested in a prostitution sting at a Punta Gorda motel on Tuesday.

Charlotte County Sheriff's Narcotics detectives made phone calls to ads listed on Backpage.com and left messages.

A woman, later identified as 26-year-old Ashley Marie Deluca, called back and agreed to meet at Knights Inn.

They agreed on a price of $200 for sex.

Deluca arrived at the hotel in a red pickup truck with two passengers, later identified as 31-year-old Brian Ashley Flowers, and 85-year-old Eugene Lawrence Smith.

Deluca left the truck and walked to the designated hotel room. Flowers and Smith remained in the truck.

Deluca told the undercover detectives she did not bring condoms and they left to walk to a nearby gas station to purchase them.

Deluca kept asking the undercover detective if he was a cop because she didn't want to get arrested.

When they returned to the hotel room, Deluca accepted money from the detective and began taking off her clothes.

A takedown signal was given and other detectives moved in to arrested Deluca.

Detectives also approached the waiting truck containing Flowers and Smith.

Flowers exited the truck and was arrested. Smith repeatedly refused orders to exit the truck and had to be removed before he was arrested.

Flowers told detectives they were there to protect Deluca and that she immediately buys methamphetamine with the money.

Deluca was charged with Prostitution and Driving While License Suspended (felony habitual), and Flowers was charged with Aiding in Prostitution. Smith was charged with Resisting Arrest and also had to register as a Sexual Predator when he was booked into the Charlotte County Jail and when he was released.

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